With fall rolling into town and temperatures dropping, it’s not surprising for comfort foods to be on the upswing. From cookies and pasta to fried chicken and chocolate, these foodie hangouts new and old have been enjoying some time in the spotlight.
We took a data-driven look at the question of popularity, using Yelp to deduce which local businesses in which categories have been in the spotlight this month. Rather than compare them based on number of reviews alone, we calculated a percentage increase in reviews over the past month.
Read on to see which spots are are getting plenty of attention this autumn.
Gooey on the Inside
Is Greenwich Village’s Gooey on the Inside on your radar? According to Yelp review data, this hidden gem of a commercial bakery is seeing plenty of action, thanks to a combination of celebrity endorsements (Michael B. Jordan is a fan) and its current promotion: 5 cookies for the price of 4 with a Yelp check-in.
While businesses categorized as “Desserts” on Yelp increased their review count by a median of 1.8 percent over the past month, this cookie emporium nabbed a 31.6 percent increase in reviews within that timeframe, maintaining a healthy 4.5-star rating. It’s an especially notable month-to-month increase because the bakery is over five years old and had plenty of reviews to start with.
Located at 218 Sullivan St. (between Third and Bleecker streets, behind an industrial freight elevator), Gooey on the Inside offers its cookies in flavors like chocolate chip, red velvet and birthday cake. It’s moving to new digs on November 1, however, so be sure to double-check the address before you go.
Coco Pazzo
Open since March, this family-style Italian place is trending compared to other Italian restaurants on Yelp.
Citywide, Italian spots saw review counts increase by a median of 2.1 percent over the past month, but Coco Pazzo saw a 33.3 percent increase, with a slight downward trend from a 4.5-star rating a month ago to four stars today. Yelpers still praise the great prices and large portions of its lunch menu, however.
Located at 160 Prince St. (between Thompson and Broadway streets) in SoHo, Coco Pazzo offers fare like ribollita (a Northern Italian soup with white beans, kale and a topping of crostini), pappardelle with braised brisket and four-cheese baked rigatoni.
Mr White
Whether or not you’ve been hearing buzz about the East Village’s Mr White, the Southern-inflected restaurant and bar is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
The bar and brunch place bagged a 39 percent increase in reviews within the past month, maintaining a superior 4.5-star rating, compared to a median increase for all Southern spots of just 1.3 percent.
Open at 123 St. Marks Place (between Avenue A and First Avenue) since February, Mr White offers signature dishes like New Orleans-style char-grilled oysters, Nashville hot chicken and red beans and rice.
Blue Stripes Cacao Shop
Greenwich Village’s Blue Stripes Cacao Shop is currently on the upswing in the bakery category on Yelp, nabbing a 50 percent increase in reviews compared to the median of 1.6 percent.
Open for business at 28 E. 13th St. (between Fifth Avenue and University Place) since June, the shop is primarily a chocolatier as well as a bakery-café, producing “chocolate clouds” (frozen hot chocolate foam), doughnuts with chocolate dipping sauce, and vanilla brandy truffles.
Holy Cow
Finally, there’s Holy Cow. Open since July, this traditional burger joint is trending compared to other burger businesses on Yelp. Citywide, they saw review counts increase by a median of 2.1 percent over the past month, but the new restaurant saw a 54.8 percent increase, maintaining a sound 4.5-star rating throughout.
Located at 15 W. 29th St. (between Broadway and Fifth Avenue) in Midtown, the joint’s signature Holy Burger is a 6-ounce cheeseburger made with a combination of ground short rib, brisket and chuck steak on a hand-rolled bun. It offers both takeout and delivery, and uses Van Leeuwen ice cream in its milkshakes.